More than half of IT pros feel underpaid

There will be a lot of job switching next year.

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IT experts will be doing a lot of job switching with the start of next year, according to a new report by Spiceworks. Releasing the report during SpiceWorld 2016 Austin, the company said more than a third (37 per cent) of IT professionals will start looking for a new job next year. More than a quarter (26 per cent) plan on accepting an offer next year, as well. A vast majority (69 per cent) wants to do it in order to advance their IT skills, but 64 per cent said they want a bigger salary. Four in ten said they want to work in an organisation where IT takes more priority.

“Businesses rely on IT professionals to protect company data and make sure the devices and services they rely on ‘just work,’ but many IT professionals believe they’re underpaid and their department is underfunded,” said Peter Tsai, IT analyst at Spiceworks.

“This is leading many tech professionals to take advantage of the favourable job market expected next year and seek employers that prioritise their IT department, invest in tech talent, and provide adequate resources IT professionals need to be successful."

The majority of IT pros (61 per cent) feel appreciated by their bosses, but they also feel (59 per cent) underpaid. Less than a quarter expect at least five per cent increase in salary next year, and 12 per cent expect to be promoted.

Cybersecurity expertise, soft skills and computer networking expertise will be important skills to have next year, the report concluded. The full report can be found on this link.